Air Samplers for Environmental Monitoring

Typical requirements suggest 1,000 litres per air sample in high risk areas, such as: grade A filling lines, grade B clean rooms, operating theatres etc. As the criticality of the area reduces, the sample size can be reduced. The aim is to achieve a representative sample; so, where higher counts would be expected, a smaller sample produces a more realistic number of cfu to count.

No do not put your SAS Sampler in a steam autoclave. The only part that can be autoclaved is the drilled head. The unit can be wiped with alcohol wipes to decontaminate it. The only other exception is the SAS Pinocchio, parts of which can be autoclaved.

Cherwell Laboratories recommends every 12 months and we will send a reminder for the month it is due. For some situations local procedures demand more frequent recalibrations so Cherwell is happy to offer tailored recalibration date labelling and reminders on request.

SAS samplers were originally designed for Contact plates, however, a Petri dish option has been available for a number of years. It is really a personal choice, although this should be decided at time of purchase, as the sampler will be specifically configured for the plate type chosen. There are advantages for each version and we would be happy to discuss your specific needs.

This is a common question to which there is no simple answer. The new Annex 1 focuses on risk based approach to monitoring and as such the number of samples needed for an EM program will vary depending on size of room, grade of room, type of tasks being performed, presence of operators and level of containment between product and other risks. All of these factors need to be borne in mind when designing your program, as well as considering the equipment being used.

The medium in a Contact plate or Petri dish is predominantly made up of water, agar is the setting agent. This water content is vital for promoting the growth of colony forming units into visible organisms. Therefore, over sampling can dehydrate the medium and potentially cause low recovery. As most standards or guidelines for clean rooms express limits as colony forming units per cubic metre, we have always recommended one cubic metre or 1000 litres as the maximum sample size per plate.

When calibrating your air sampler, we will also service the unit to ensure it is functioning correctly. As a minimum we require the sampler unit (and sampling head in the case of the Isolator version) with a drilled head to calibrate. However, we recommend return of the charger and that these items are all packed in one of the SAS carry cases for maximum protection during transit. It is also very helpful if customers complete a returns form so we know who the units is from.